"Sure, Batman. It's been a trip."

"Mm. You need to get going. Gordon will be wondering where you're at."

Jean Paul Valley smiled sheepishly then pulled his mask over his face and slid into the canopy of the Batmobile. Shilo Norman, the new Robin, was stuck at home grounded. It was going to be a solo mission tonight with an as yet unknown dance partner.

"Good luck, Paul," Batman said. "I'll see you when you get back."

Jean Paul Valley waved through the window as the Batmobile's canopy shut overhead then raced down the track that would take him to GCPD headquarters via the back roads of Gotham. Batman watched him go then slid off his mask.

"I'm getting tired of this, Alfred."

"I know, sir," Alfred Pennyworth said as he walked past him on the way to dusting the newly replaced computer system. "You're not used to sitting on the sidelines but you must understand the necessity of it."

"I understand," Bruce conceded. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to wait around to die while a pretender takes care of my city."

Alfred shook his head. Sometimes, he thought, Bruce was still a stubborn child.

"Master Bruce?"

"Yes, Alfred?" Bruce said as he took off his cape and shirt and positioned himself beneath the bench press.

"Master Shilo mentioned something to me the other day . . . A name from the past."

"Spit it out, Alfred."

"His English teacher . . . Her name is Helena Bertenelli."

"Bertenelli?" Bruce said as the four hundred pounds came down on his chest. "As in THE Bertenellis?"

"I'm not sure, sir. It's entirely possible that she's no relation."

Bruce heaved as he lifted the weight above his head. "It's possible but it's not likely. There's an extremely good chance this Bertenelli woman is a part of the family."

"That's why I thought I should mention it, sir."

"Any more blasts from the past, Alfred?"

"No, sir," Alfred laughed slightly. "Not today."

"Yes," a woman's voice said. "Can I help you?"

"This is Shilo, Ms. Bertenelli."

"Oh, hi, Shilo," Helena Bertenelli said happily. "You're the first student to call my house. There's nothing wrong is there?"

"No, there's nothing wrong. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, not really. I'm just sitting on the couch eating popcorn and watching a movie," she said. "Say something to keep me from getting fat."

Shilo laughed nervously. "I was just calling to ask you if I could maybe get a suspension on my essay that's due Friday."

"Well, I don't know. Is there a problem?"

"Uh . . . " Shilo stalled. He had been working on his essay for her class on the Batman's computer and now it was wrecked. Would she believe that? No, probably not. "My . . . uh . . . Computer crashed."

"Well, I'm sorry but you don't sound very sincere about that."

"What?"

"That's a pretty bad excuse, Shilo."

"I know . . . "

"But you're a good student, excellent really, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Really? Thanks, Ms. Bertenelli!"

"You're welcome, Shilo. Anything else?"

His communicator was beeping on the dresser. Batman.

"Shilo?"

"Huh?"

"I asked you if there was anything else you needed to talk about."

"Oh, uh . . . No, ma'am."

"Okay, then. I'll see you in class."

"Okay . . . Bye."

"Mm-hm," Helena smiled. "Bye bye."

Shilo hung up happy while, across town, Helena Bertenelli dropped the phone onto the mat beneath her and slapped her chalk covered palms on the chin up bar. She was almost ready now.

"Strange kid," she murmured to herself then went back to work.

"I . . . I don't know . . . Please come . . . Please . . . " Batman, Jean Paul Valley, pleaded. He sounded like he was scared out of his mind. Shilo shook his head. That wasn't going to work if he wanted to be Batman.

"Where are you?"

"I . . . Oh, God . . . I'm at the Axis Chemical Plant. Please hurry."

Shilo flipped off his communicator then went into his closet and unearthed his hidden Robin costume. "That guy . . . " he said. "I'm never going to get that stupid essay done."

"Miss?" The pizza boy outside the door asked, his hand was getting tired of rapping on the door.

"Right there!" the woman in T-shirt, shorts, and socks said as she jogged across the room. She threw open the door and the pizza boy's mouth dropped. He had never delivered to someone as beautiful as she was.

"Miss . . . Kyle?"

"Mm. It's Falcone. Kyle Falcone."

"But Kyle's a guy's name and your . . . Well you're no guy."

"Thanks for noticing."

The pizza boy smiled nervously hoping she would invite him in.

"Can I have my pizza or should I just starve to death?"

"Huh? Oh, right. Here's your pizza."

"Thanks," she said, taking the pizza and handing the pimple faced kid a hundred. "Keep the change. I can get more where that came from. No big deal."

He was feeling particularly lucky tonight and said, "Cool. Hot and ric--"

Then the door shut in his face.

"AAAH!" Paul screamed as he threw his hands up over his head for protection. "Please don't hurt me!"

"This is pathetic. Batman wouldn't like this."

Paul whimpered and squeezed himself into a tighter fetal position. They were atop the Axis Chemical Company building, the breeding ground for danger, and Robin had no intention of staying any longer than he had to.

"What is wrong with you?!"

Paul didn't answer. Robin sighed and shook his head then reached into his belt and took out his communicator.

"Batman?"

Static.

"Batman?"

"I'm afraid he's unavailable," an English voice said from behind him. Robin turned to see a thin man and a fat man with a baudy mustache. Both were dressed in immaculate black suits and silver glasses. The fat one wore a derby hat.

"What is this? Abbot and Costello?"

"Such a reference for a boy your age," the fat Englishman said.

"Kill?"

"No, no, Fear," the fat man said. "Let's have a little fun with him first."

"Run," Jean Paul Valley whispered. "Run . . . For the love of God run!"

"Who are you people?"

"My name is Andreas Tremble. My friend is Richard Fear. Pseudonyms, of course."

"Of course."

"We're interested in fear. Yours, mine, his, ours, the world's."

"I care."

"You will. You will also scream."

Robin brought the communicator to his mouth again.

"We've jammed the signal, my lad," Tremble said.

"Kill?" Fear asked again, brandishing a cane.

"No, no," Tremble said. "Just maim. Let‘s hope he provides a better experiment than his partner. To think, I had heard so much about the Batman. Tsk, tsk."

"Bring it, big guy," Robin said, readying himself for the attack.

"Kill," Fear said then rushed forward. He was faster than the Batman, Robin thought, as the lanky man landed ten blows then shattered his cane against his skull and he passed out. Faster than Batman and not very nice . . .